Malaysia Proposes To Buy Three Multi Support Ships

1 Desember 2009

KD Sri Indera Pura - current ship for multi support ship (photo : worldwarships)

LANGKAWI -- The Defence Ministry will give priority to "friends" in its plan to buy three 'Multi Support Ships' (MSS's) to shore up the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN)'s armada.

Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said the company or country that agreed to transfer technology, experience and provide training to the RMN would be given priority.

He said the procurement of the vessels would be done via open tender to "friendly" nations under the 10th Malaysian Plan right up to the 12th Malaysian Plan.

"The RMN will send a group of officers to make an evaluation to determine the design and size of the vessel so that it is suitable for use by the navy."

Besides that the 'friendly' nation will be given a contract to build one of the three vessels here to allow for transfer of technology," Ahmad Zahid told reporters aboard the RMN frigate KD Lekui at Awana Porto Malai here Monday.

He was in Langkawi to monitor preparations for the Langkawi International Marritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima 2009) that opens here tomorrow till Dec 5.Ahmad Zahid however declined to reveal the cost for each of the MSS vessels except to say that their construction would take 48 months.

"We will take the oppoutunity to learn about the capabilities of the Multi Role Ship (MRS) from Korea and a Singaporean battleship equipped with sophisticated missiles," he said.

He said the the three MSSs' were to replace one of its two multiple purpose ships that was destroyed in Lumut, Perak recently.

Ahmad Zahid said five sultans and the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, have consented to attend LIMA 2009.

(Bernama)